Potvin’s Heroics Keep Kings Going

It came down to a flick of the wrist and the blink of an eye.

It came down to the impenetrable goalie and the unstoppable wing.

After 60 minutes of regulation hockey at the United Center Thursday night, and an additional 4:59 of overtime between the Kings and the Chicago Blackhawks with the two teams tied at 2, it came down to Felix Potvin and Eric Daze, close enough to touch one another, far enough apart for one more shot.

Daze barely lofted the puck, maneuvered to his stick by Jaroslav Spacek, off the ice. Potvin, coming quickly across the crease with left arm outstretched, dived and blocked the shot.

End of game, continuation of a playoff race.

The tie enabled the Kings (28-26-9-1) to pick up a point on the idle Edmonton Oilers, holders of the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference with 71 points, leaving the Kings still five points back. It also enabled the Blackhawks (27-29-6-3) to remain three points back of the Kings.

Both teams are 3-0-1 in their last four. And neither was ready to surrender its unbeaten streak meekly. The two teams played a wide-open overtime, the Kings getting five shots on goal, the Blackhawks three.

“We went for it,” said King Coach Andy Murray. “Edmonton and Phoenix [72 points] are the teams we should be worried about. We shouldn’t be worried about each other. That’s why we went for it.”

Agreed Potvin, “You’ve got to go for two. There’s no holding back this time of the year.”

The Kings, discounted as a playoff factor by many when they traded star defenseman Rob Blake a week ago, have instead come together in the wake of his departure, their unbeaten streak coinciding with his exit.

A key factor has been Potvin, who arrived in another trade two weeks ago and is 3-1-1 as a King.

“He has served as a good rallying point for us,” Murray said.

As good as Potvin has been, however, his record would have been even better if he could have hung onto a two-goal lead Thursday against a club that beat the Kings, 3-0, in this same arena 12 days ago.

Luc Robitaille opened the scoring with his 31st goal in the first period on a power play.

It appeared that Chicago had tied the game when a shot off Spacek’s stick was tipped in by Dean McAmmond.

But was it legal?

After checking the replay, the officials waved off what would have been McAmmond’s 11th goal, ruling his stick was higher than the crossbar, the maximum height allowed.

There was no question about Glen Murray’s short-handed goal in the opening minute of the second period. He rifled the puck past Jocelyn Thibault for his 13th goal of the season and his first short-handed.

It was the Kings’ second short-handed goal in as many games.

But then, with Thibault shutting the Kings down, it was Chicago’s turn to find the net.

First came Daze, who scored in the second period from close range off a pass from Chris Herperger. It was Daze’s 12th goal in 12 games and his 27th of the season.

Later in the period, Tony Amonte tied Steve Sullivan for the team lead with his 31st goal on a power play.

Neither team would score again on a night when the Kings outshot the Blackhawks, 35-22.

The Kings’ penalty killers held Chicago to the one power-play goal in six attempts. That makes the Kings, 29th among the league’s 30 teams in this category coming into Thursday, eight for nine in killing penalties over the last two games.

Ultimately it came down to Potvin and Daze.

“I turned and saw Daze and saw the puck on his stick,” Potvin said. “I came over and did as good as I could. In that situation, you don’t go for the puck because, if you miss, he gets the goal. You just go for the angle.”

Said Daze: “I knew I didn’t have much time. I couldn’t shoot it on the ice. So I just put it up and he made a great save.”

Did Murray, watching helplessly from the bench, miss a beat of his heart?

“With two quality goalies out there,” he said, “there were a lot of missed beats in the overtime.”